Sheath or scabbard.



Hi Ft V. H. JENNINGS. SHEATH 0R SOABBARD.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.27, 1912.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

2 cue 7260 7". 5? ii a THE NORRIS PETERS C0, PHOTO-LITHO.. wAsHlNGmN. o. C.

VICTOR H. JENNINGS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS WOVEN CARTRIDGE BELT COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEA'IH OR SCABBARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, T9115.

Application filed April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,667.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VICTOR H. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sheaths or Scabbards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to sheaths or scabbards, such, for instance, as those which are employed for knives, bayonets, bolos, and various other weapons and implements.

lit consistsin a sheath or scabbard having a tubular fabric-covering of novel character hereinafter described and claimed.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which latter,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a sheath or scabbard for a swordbayonet having the said embodiment of the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top view of the upper end of the said sheath or Scabbard. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof, with the wire hanger and the cloth hanger or tab both omitted, and portions of the fabric-covering broken away. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the upper portion of the tubular fabric-covering of Figs. 1 and 3, before being applied to the body and mouth-piece of the sheath or scabbard. Fig. 5 is a top view of the said tubular fabric-covering. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the portion of fabric-covering that is represented in Fig. 4, but before being expanded, folded-in and stitched as in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a top view of the said portion as shown in Fig. 6.

Having reference to the drawings,the sheath or scabbard shown therein is of the customary flattened shape in cross-section and comprises the body 1, shown in Fig. 3 by breaking away a portion of the cover, the cap or mouth-piece 2, the cover 3, the cloth hanger or tab 4, the wire hanger 5, and the leather covering 6 for the lower end of the sheath or scabbard. The body 1 is of usual character and construction, as for instance wood covered with rawhide. The cap or mouth-piece 2 upon the upper end of the body 1 is made of metal or other suitable material, and is formed with the entranceslot, 2*, Fig. 2, in line with the blade-receiving space within the body 1. This cap or mouth-piece surrounds and incloses the upper end-portion of the body 1, forming an enlargement at the upper end of the sheath or Scabbard.

In usual practice heretofore the material employed as the covering of a sheath or scabbard has been cut to pattern from a flat sheet of leather or cloth, then folded so as to bring its longitudinal margins together at one edge of the covering, and stitched through and through such margins, forming a longitudinal seam which unites the folded-in margins together and thereby closes the cover lengthwise in the form of a tube. Having been thus formed into a tube, the cover has been drawn upon the body and up over the exterior of the cap or mouthpiece. The pattern has been proportioned properly to cause the upper portion of the cover to fit the enlargement of the cap or mouth-piece, and to cause the remaining portion of the cover to fit the body below such enlargement. This method of making a cover is open to the very grave objection that it produces a prominent projecting fin or ridge along one edge of the sheath or Scabbard, extending from the upper end of the latter to the lower end thereof, where the margins of the material have been stitched together. This is especially true in the case of a cover made of woven material, which requires to have its out edges folded or turned back inward as described in order to conceal and protect the raw edges. The said fin or ridge is unsightly and mars the appearance of the covered sheath or scabbard, and the work of making a properly fitting covering and applying the latter is difiicult. The stitched seam sometimes rips as a result of the breaking of stitches due to improper formation of stitches or weakness of the thread employed therein, or to decay and weakening of the thread, or as a result of injury to the stitches due to wear or hard usage.

My invention eliminates the protruding fin or ridge aforesaid, and the exposed seam extending the length of the sheath or scabbard, and provides a substantially seamless cover of novel character.

In accordance with the invention I make the cover 3 of a fabric of firm and inextensible weave, woven in seamless tubular form throughout the entire length of the portion thereof which fits the body 1, and proportioned in diameter to fit snugly and smoothlyai-ponthe exterior of the said body. As produced in the loom the tube 'is"fla't'-"' tened as indicated in Fig. 6. a The portion of thefabrio- Which fits the exterior of the cap ric,j as',illustrated in Fig. 4, .to fit the exterior ofthe cap, or mouth-piece, producing'a flaring 33 is made of-Jvvidthsuflicient to provide two pver-lapping plies whichawill permit the required extent of expansion of the said mouth;portionzwithout exposing anop ening between the. edges atLop'positesides ofnthe slit. -..,The two overlapping plies are secured together bya line of1stitohes 7, Fig. 4:, there: by the; mouthrportion in vits flaring form, Z'As .bothedges at the slit are firm selvagetl ,edgea, produced I in theusual. manner of forming'selvages,there areno loose endsof threads along the. slit, and there is no tendencytoraveling atlthe slits: m a 1. The; fabric-is Woven in a continuous Web .in which, a length,oftubularfabric is sucb eeededby a sli'ttedfmouth portion, that by a se ond, ength of tubular fabric, that by a slitted;mouth-portion, land so on, the said. eb. being divided: up. into cover-lengths by severing. it, transversely. at, the uppenend of each slitted mouth-portion: The raw cut endbf,theflatter, is concealed and protected by t d' end, 'thepover, asrepresented in Fig. 3. In d mg. so,j the. margin .at 3*, 2Fig. 7, is turned inward over and :around'the turneddown, upper end of ;the' vvidening 3 thereby inclo'sing, the free, marginof said Widening as in., l?ig.,5. ,Thefolding-over providesa mouth;e nd ,as shown in Fig. --3;-The'foldedf in portionnorphem is,secured by :lines 8, 8,

of stitches extending around theminouthend .gf theacover and engaging withall the contacting thicknesses-r-a-The'icap or mouthpiece, is, formed ,withea radial ilange Q against which firm., mouth-endiof the cover fits snugly, as in Fig m e,

The jcloth hanger'or tab 4, Fig. 1 is applied toi the.broadorgflat side of thecover which" contains the longitudinal slit, being fitted over theislit and the line ofstitches 7, and, is secured tothe. said side of the cover lines of stitches9, 9, etc. Thereby the slit. ,and. the, .line of stitches 6 are concealedand, protected. The length of the but with a longitudinal slit in one flat 7, upon-"- 1ng; m outh p0rtion as inFig. 4. .The widen-- longitudinal slit and "with both margins at such slit woven selv '105 mg the same inward .into the upper the said smooth, solid and 'riorly-enlarged v longitudinal slit and integral widening,.. Withbothmargms at such sht'woven se longitudinal slit that is wovenin themouthand the width of the widening, as well as the mode of weaving, may vary in pract ce. The overlapping s1ngle-ply selvaged portions 3, 3", at the slit provide for the expansion of the mouth-portion of the cover,

and for completely closing such portion, without bunchiness due to excess of material.

he cover may be caused to adhere to the surface of body 1 by means of glue or produced by interweaving the weft or filling with' supplemental warpthreads (not shown) which are floated from onewidening to the next and subsequently cut away, although they may be interwoven other cementitious substance. The widen ing at 3 is in the tubular portion of the fabric between 'widenings if desired.

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a sheath or scabbard having an exteriorly-enlarged Inouthend,'of afabric-covering of seamless tubu-- lar weave fitting the said body, having a 'mouth-portion formed with a longitudinal slit, with both margins-at such slit woven selvaged and alsovwoven overlapped with each other, and having their overlapping portions partly expanded to suit the eiilarged mouth-end and permanently secured together. i. a

2. The combination with a sheath or scabend, of a larweave fitting the said body, having a mouth-portion expanded to fit said exte riorly-enlarged' mouth-end, formed with a integral widenin -end, of a fabric-covering of seamless tubuv g lar weave fitting the smooth,;,solid, and 'firm continuously-closed said body, having a ard having'an ex'teriorly-enla'rged mouthfabric-covering of seamlesstubumouth-portion expanded to fit said exte 'riorly-enlarged mouth-end, formed with a longitudinal slit and integral widening, with both margins at such slitwoven sel vaged and also woven, overlapped with each other, and having their overlapping por tions partly expanded and permanently se-' cured together, and a suspending tab covering and protecting-the slit,"widening, and

securing means.

4. The combination with a sheath or scabbard having an exteriorly-enlarged monthend, of'a fabric-covering of seamless tub'ular weave fitting the said body, having a mouth-portion mouth-end, 'formedjjwith' a expanded to fit said exte-"' meant vaged and also Woven, overlapped With each other, and having their overlapping portions partly expanded and permanently secured together, and with the end of such mouth-portion turned in upon itself and one overlapping portion inclosing and confining the other, producing a firm and continuously-closed mouth-end.

5. The combination with a sheath or scabbard having an eXteriorly-enlarged mouthend, of a fabric-covering of seamless tubular Weave fitting the said body, having a mouth-portion expanded to fit said exteriorly-enlarged mouth-end, formed with a longitudinal slit and integral Widening, with both margins at such slit Woven seling tab covering and protecting the slit, 25

Widening, and securing means.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VICTOR H. JENNINGS. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, NATHAN 18. DAY.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G. 

